The present invention relates to a game hall system utilizing storage media.
Generally, in a game hall, a plurality of game machines are arranged together with at least one adjustment device which performs the delivery of a prize, etc. on the basis of a game result. In recent years, regarding such a game hall, there has been proposed, for example, one wherein the progress of a game in the game machine is recorded in a magnetic card which has a data recording function and which has been purchased beforehand, and wherein information items recorded in the magnetic card are read by the adjustment device so as to manage a game situation or exchange game media for a prize in conformity with the read information items. A prior-art example concerning this game hall is a technique disclosed in the pamphlet of PCT Publication WO92/20415. According to the prior-art technique, in a game apparatus having a game execution section with which a game is played by the use of game media, and a game-media holder in which the game media for use in the game are temporarily held, the number of game media which are handled during the execution of the game is managed, and the managed number of game media is recorded into a card, being a storage medium, by a write circuit.
With the prior-art technique, however, the identical magnetic card cannot be used many times due to heavy wear in the case of recycling it when the number of game media written in the magnetic card has become zero or after the game media have been exchanged for a prize by reading the number thereof by means of an adjustment device. Therefore, the card is usually disposed of after having been utilized once, which poses an environmental problem. Another problem is that since a new card is issued for every game player, the technique results in a high cost.
Moreover, the information items of the card are directly read and written by read and write circuits, respectively, so that inferior contact with the card is to be expected.
The present invention has been made in order to solve the problems stated above, and has for its object to provide a game hall system which can utilize recyclable storage media. Another object is to provide a game hall system in which inferior contact with a storage medium is not experienced when reading/writing the information thereof.
In order to accomplish the aforementioned objects, a game hall system having a plurality of game machines each of which is equipped with a game execution section for executing a game, consists in comprising storage media in each of which information items about the game are stored; the storage medium including a storage-medium transmitter/receiver which transmits and receives by radio, a storage-medium controller which controls the transmission and reception of the storage-medium transmitter/receiver, a memory portion in which the information items transmitted and received by the storage-medium transmitter/receiver are stored, and a power supply circuit which is chargeable; each of the game machines including a game-machine transmission/reception section which transmits and receives information to and from the storage medium, and a game-machine controller which controls the transmission and reception of the game-machine transmission/reception section and controls the execution section; the game-machine transmission/reception section including a game-machine-side setting port in which the storage medium is set, a game-machine transmitter/receiver which transmits and receives by radio to and from the storage medium set in the game-machine-side setting port, and a charging circuit which charges the power supply circuit of the storage medium set in the game-machine-side setting port.
It is possible that the game machine further includes a setting switch which serves to set an amount of money to be spent on a game, and an end switch which serves to give a command for ending the game; that, in compliance with manipulation of the setting switch, the execution section operates so as to execute the game within a range of the set amount of money and processes data originating with the execution of the game; that, in compliance with manipulation of the end switch, the game-machine controller transmits results of the data processing of the execution section to the storage medium through the game-machine transmitter/receiver; and that the storage-medium controller stores the data processing results received by the storage-medium transmitter/receiver, in the memory portion.
Each of the storage-medium transmitter/receiver and the game-machine transmitter/receiver may well include error detection means for detecting any error during the transmission and reception of the information.
It is also allowed that the storage-medium controller transmits the data processing results stored in the memory portion, through the storage-medium transmitter/receiver; and that the game-machine controller includes judgement means for judging whether or not the data processing results received from the storage medium by the game-machine transmitter/receiver agree with the transmitted data processing results.
Further, the power supply circuit of the storage medium is charged by the charging circuit when held set in the setting port of the game machine. Besides, the charging circuit can perform the charging even during the transmission and reception between the storage-medium transmitter/receiver and the transmitter/receiver of the game machine.
It is also allowed that the storage-medium controller detects a charged state of the power supply circuit, and that it further transmits information indicative of the detected charged state, through the storage-medium transmitter/receiver during the transmission and reception; and that the game-machine controller includes detection means for detecting whether or not the information indicative of the charged state of the storage medium as received by the game-machine transmitter/receiver is abnormal or not. Thus, the presence of any charging abnormality can be detected. It is consequently possible to judge if the data written in the IC card are correct.
Further, the storage medium may well include display means for displaying the data processing results. A liquid-crystal screen or the like can be included as the display means.
It is possible that the game-machine-side setting port detects the setting of the storage medium; that, when the setting of the storage medium has been detected in the game-machine-side setting port, the game-machine controller gives a command to the storage medium through the game-machine transmitter/receiver so as to transmit the information stored in the memory portion; and that, when the storage-medium-controller has been commanded, through the storage-medium transmitter/receiver, to transmit the information by the game-machine controller, the storage-medium controller thereof transmits the information stored in the memory portion.
It is possible that the game-machine controller gives a command to the storage medium through the game-machine transmitter/receiver so as to erase the information stored in the memory portion; and that, when the storage-medium controller has been commanded to erase the information by the game-machine controller through the storage-medium transmitter/receiver, the storage-medium controller thereof erases the information stored in the memory portion.
It is possible that the game-machine controller gives a command to the storage medium through the game-machine transmitter/receiver so as to xe2x80x9cOFFxe2x80x9d/xe2x80x9cONxe2x80x9d operate a power supply of the power supply circuit; and that, when the storage-medium controller has been commanded to xe2x80x9cOFFxe2x80x9d/xe2x80x9cONxe2x80x9d operate the power supply by the game-machine controller, the storage-medium controller thereof controls the xe2x80x9cOFFxe2x80x9d/xe2x80x9cONxe2x80x9d operation of the power supply of the power supply circuit through the storage-medium transmitter/receiver.
It is also possible to further comprise an adjustment device which includes adjustment means for adjusting stakes for the game; the adjustment device including an adjustment-device-side setting port in which the storage medium is set, an adjustment-device transmitter/receiver which transmits and receives by radio to and from the storage medium set to the adjustment-device-side setting port, an adjustment-device controller which controls the transmission and reception of the adjustment-device transmitter/receiver and controls transmission and reception to and from the adjustment means; the adjustment means adjusting the stakes on the basis of transmitted and received information by the adjustment-device transmitter/receiver. It is possible that the adjustment device further includes an output unit which, at least, outputs the transmitted and received information by the adjustment-device transmitter/receiver.
It is also possible to further comprise a monitoring device which monitors withdrawal of the storage medium from a game hall; the monitoring device including a monitoring device transmitter/receiver which transmits and receives by radio to and from the storage medium lying within a predetermined range, a monitoring device controller which controls the transmission and reception of the monitoring device transmitter/receiver, and detection means for detecting the withdrawal of the storage medium from the game hall; the storage-medium transmitter/receiver transmitting and receiving by radio to and from the monitoring device transmitter/receiver.
It is possible that the detection means sends a monitor signal from the monitoring device transmitter/receiver, and detects the withdrawal from the game hall when a response signal from the storage medium has been received; and that the storage-medium transmitter/receiver transmits the response signal when it has received the monitor signal from the monitoring device transmitter/receiver.
Besides, the monitoring device can further include output means for giving a warning when the withdrawal of the storage medium from the game hall has been detected by the detection means.
It is also allowed that the monitoring device further includes a door controller which is arranged at an entrance and exit of the game hall, and which controls opening and shutting of a door at the entrance and exit; and that the door controller shuts the door when the withdrawal of the storage medium from the game hall has been detected by the detection means.
Further, it is possible to comprise storage-medium issue means for issuing the storage media.
In addition, it is possible that at least some of the game machine includes a lending machine which lends out game media, the game execution section executing the game through the use of game media; and that the storage-medium issue means, the game-machine-side setting port and the game-machine transmitter/receiver are provided in the lending machine.
Besides, it is allowed that the game machines includes detection means for detecting a predetermined execution state of the game machine; that, when the predetermined execution state has been detected by the detection means, the game-machine controller transmits the data processing results of the execution section to the storage medium through the game-machine transmitter/receiver; and that the storage-medium controller stores, in the memory portion, the data processing results received by the storage-medium transmitter/receiver.
In the game machine, the game-machine controller controls the execution section and also controls the transmission and reception of the game-machine transmitter/receiver, and the game-machine transmitter/receiver transmits and receives by radio to and from the storage-medium transmitter/receiver set in the game-machine-side setting port. In the storage medium, the storage-medium controller controls the transmission and reception of the storage-medium transmitter/receiver, and the memory portion stores therein the information items transmitted and received by the storage-medium transmitter/receiver. The charging circuit can charge the power supply circuit of the storage medium set in the game-machine-side setting port. Besides, the power supply circuit can include induced-power generation means for generating an electromotive force on the basis of electromagnetic induction of a magnetic field, and accumulation means for accumulating therein the electromotive force generated by the induced-power generation means, while the charging circuit can include magnetic-field generation means for generating the magnetic field.
Since, in this manner, the storage medium and the game machine communicate by radio, inferior contact in the operation of reading or writing data from or into the storage medium does not take place. Moreover, since the storage medium can update the stored information by the transmission and reception, it is recyclable, and an economical game hall system can be realized. Further, when the storage medium is held set in the game-machine-side setting port, the power supply circuit thereof can be charged.